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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Range Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #66825
Title: TARBUSH LEAF SURFACE TERPENE PROFILE IN RELATIONSHIP TO MAMMALIAN HERBIVORY

Author
item Estell, Richard - Rick
item Frederickson, Eddie
item Anderson, Dean
item Havstad, Kris
item REMMENGA, MARTA - NEW MEXICO STATE UNIV

Submitted to: Wildland Shrub Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/4/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Cattle, sheep and goats were densely stocked in paddocks containing tarbush (Flourensia cernua DC) for six to nine days and defoliation of 160 plants was recorded daily during two years. Plants were separated into high, moderate or low defoliation categories. Leaves were collected from plants during the same stage of maturity during the third year. Leaf surface compounds were extracted with ethanol and mono- and sesquiterpenes were analyzed using gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry. A set of 11 variables was identified that appeared most closely related to plant defoliation categories: dry matter, ash, limonene, camphor, borneol, alpha copaene, beta caryophyllene, alpha pinene, p-cymene, cis-jasmone and caryophyllene oxide concentrations. This group distinguished among all three defoliation categories (P < 0.03) when subjected to multivariate analysis. These data support the hypothesis that leaf surface chemistry is srelated to degree of defoliation of individual tarbush plants by livestock